Cloth cutting machine



Aug. 4, 1936. K. REECHERT, JR 2,049,823

CLOTH CUTTING MACHiNE Filed Oct. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W'wM/W/i II /l! k Jrzven/ar 1935- T K. REICHERT, JR 2,049,823 7 CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig! g 5 fi Jrzverfor' f f. Heicheri JV.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics CLOTH cnrrmc MACHINE Karl Reichert, Jr., Bad Cannstatt, Germany, .as-

signor to Krauss & Reichert Spezialmaschina enfabrik und Apparatebau G. m. b. H., Stutt- 1 gart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany; incorporation Application October 25, 1935, SeriaTNo. 46,800- In Germany November 14, 1934 6 Claims.

The invention relates to electric cloth-cutting machines with a cutting knife which is moved vertically upwards and downwards and more particularly to the construction of the means for guiding the cutting knife. Electric cloth-cutting machines of this kind have an elongated, thin and flat knife blade which, for producing a sliding cut, is moved rapidly upwards and down- I wards vertically, the machine being displaced 10- horizontally.

The knives are supported at their back and side surfaces in a sheath-like guide which also forms the support for the motor. As the guide must fit accurately, efiicient lubrication is essential.

But, even with a guide which closely embraces the knife it is unavoidable that .dust and cloth fibres will get into the guide. An excessive accumulation of dust and fibres in the knife guide may however make ,it impossible to operate the machine.

s It has been suggested to render the dust and fibres, which penetrate into the guide, innocuous by providing pockets at the bottom of the knife guide at the place where the back of the knife bears. These pockets serve the purpose both of storing lubricant and for receiving dust and fibres. The dust and fibres become matted together in the pockets into a felt-like mass.

In this way it is possible for a time to prevent the clogging of the guide by foreign bodies, but, as soon-as the pockets are full, they naturally cease to function. Although there will still be some amount of lubrication, it will no longer be possible to prevent dust and fibres from getting into the guide, which will sooner or later render the machine inoperable.

The invention overcomes this disadvantage and also provides for a quick and ample lubrication of the knife guide. The guide according to the invention for vertical knives is characterized by sinuous or zigzag lubricating grooves in the side walls of the guide or of the knife, the crests of which facing the back of the knife extend into the space swept through by the lubricant recesses in the back of the knife or in the part of the guide, which guides the back of the knife.

The relative distance of the lubricant recesses and of the crests of the lubricating grooves lying within range of them is preferably made smaller than or equal to the length of stroke of the knife.

In such an arrangement of lubricating grooves and lubricant recesses or pockets the foreign matter which gets into the pockets and travels along with the lubricant gradually through. the lubricating grooves downwards and is automatically ejected in a continuous manner; Thus, through the peculiar arrangement of the coac'ting lubricating grooves and lubricant recesses an effective flow of lubricant through the 1 guide simultaneously with a self-cleaning of the guide is ensured. The form of arrangement is preferably one in which the grooves are inthe back of the knife, since the knife is made of "high qual- 10 ity steel, so that a small reduction of its bearing surface inthe guide isunimportant, and since, should any cleaning become necessary, this cleaning can be carried out on theknife only, M a which :isw-more easily accessible than the back 15' of the knife guide.

Constructional examples of a knife guide according to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows the knife in the sectioned guide, 29 viewed from the side;

Figs. 1a to 111 show further possible construc tional forms of the back 'of the knife;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the knife and the knifeguide'according to Fig. 1; 5 Fig. 3 shows the "machine 'inquestion as a whole, in side elevation; Fig. 4 shows the knife with the lubricating pockets in the back;

Fig. 4a shows the corresponding form of guide; 30

Fig. 5 shows the knife with the lubricating channels inits sides, and I Fig. 5a shows the corresponding form of guide.

The knife guide consists of a sheath I in which are inserted a bar 2 at the back of the 35 knife and two side members 3 at the sides of the knife. The insertions 2 and 3 consist of a material of a known kind, which is suitable for acting as a guide for the steel knife. The knife 4 is connected by means of its forked end 5 40 to the knife head 9 which is moved upwards and downwards by mechanical means.

The knife head 9 is moved upwards and downwards by an electric motor ill by means of a crank drive housed in the interior of the motor 45 casing, which is not shown in detail in the drawings. At the front of the machine is a holding-down member I l which is vertically adjustable by means of a clamping screw [2 in a guide It and bears against the surface of the 50 pile of cloth M. The machine has a handle l5 and a foot IS with which it rests on the table. It is moved as a whole through the pile of cloth along the line of the pattern.

The parts so far described are known. Ac- 55 V the knife may be wavy. I

The inserted side members 3 of the knife guide have sinuous lubricant channels I, the crests 8 of which, lying towards the back of the knife, are so positioned that during the upward and downward motion of the knife they come in contact with the lubricant pockets -6. In order to ensure such contact taking place the crests 8 of the lubricating grooves 1 and the lubricant pockets 6 at the back of the knife are spaced apart at a distance which is less than the distance moved through by'the knife in its upward and downward motion.

When the knife is in operation, that is when it is moved up and down, the lubricant collects in the pockets 6 and overflows out of them into the lubricating grooves 1. The lubricant may of course be first fed to the grooves"! and pass from them into the pockets 6. As at each stroke each pocket 6 comes in contact with the lubricating groove 1, the lubricant is distributed rapidly and uniformly. The back of the knife is also quickly and uniformly lubricated. At the same time dust and fibres are conveyed along the entire surface of the sides of the knife and at the back of the knife into cavities of the lubricating grooves and of the lubricant pockets, so that they become mixed with the lubricant and travel with it through the guide.

Instead of being formed in the back of the knife, the lubricant pockets may be formed in the knife guide, in which case the lubricating grooves must be in the knife itself instead of in the guide. Both forms are clearly shown in Figs. 4, 4a and 5, 5a. The greatest distance of the lubri cant pockets from one another and of the crests of the lubricating grooves lying within range of them is equal to the distance moved through by the knife in its upward and downward motion.

I claim:

1. In an electric cloth cutting machine a guide member, a knife member capable of a vertical member, a knife member capable of a vertical 1O reciprocating motion in the said guide member, pockets for lubricant in the back of the knife member and zigzag lubricating grooves in the' side walls of the guide, the grooves being so arranged that their crests directed towards the 15 back of the knife and the said pockets will sweep over one another during the motion of the knife in the guide.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 and in' which the greatest distance of the lubricant 20 pockets from one another and the greatest distance of the crests of the lubricating grooves lying within range of them from "one another are equal to the distance moved through by the knife in its upward and downward motion. 25

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 and in which the greatest distance of the lubricant pockets from one another'and the greatest distance of the crests of the lubricating grooves lying Within range of them from one another are 30 equal to the distance moved through by the knife in its upward and downward motion,

5. In an electric cloth cutting machine, a guide member, a knife member capable of a vertical reciprocating motion in said guide member, said 35' guide member having pockets for lubricants in the surface contacting the back of the knife and said knife having zigzag lubricating grooves on its side surfaces, the grooves being so arranged that their crests directed towards the back of the knife and the said pockets will sweep over one another during the motion of the knife in the guide. I

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5 and in which the greatest distance of the lubricant KARL REICIIERT, JR. 

